Prabowo Boasts to US Business Leaders That Indonesia Has Never Defaulted on Debt

Jakarta, VIVA – President Prabowo Subianto has declared that Indonesia possesses strong economic foundations, managed prudently over many years, and has never once failed to honour its debt obligations.

The remarks were delivered during a meeting with the US Chamber of Commerce (USCC), the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), and The United States Indonesia Society (USINDO) on Wednesday, 18 February 2026 local time.

“We have managed our economy wisely for many years. We have never defaulted, not once in our history. We have never failed to pay our debts,” Prabowo said.

Indonesia, Prabowo noted, has a tradition of honouring commitments — even when those commitments involve debts incurred by previous administrations.

“Even succeeding governments will always honour the debts of previous governments, even though they may have been fierce political opponents of one another. The tradition in our society is to honour our obligations,” he said.

Prabowo also used the occasion to express the Indonesian government’s desire to build strong cooperative ties with the United States, noting the vast potential for collaboration between the two countries.

“Once again, we want the best relationship with the United States in all fields: politics, economics, humanitarian assistance, and environmental protection. We have strong potential to enhance this relationship. Indonesia has enormous potential,” he said.

“We recognise — and I believe the region also recognises — that Indonesia is no longer a sleeping giant. We are beginning to wake up,” he added.